Cragganmore and Oban

Cragganmore 12 yo (40%, OB, -/+ 1995)
Color: gold. Nostril: fairly good, on damp sackcloth with underlying notes of caramel shortbread, milk chocolate, caffe latte and brown sugar. You do certainly fell like that is an altogether extra ‘quaint’ fashion with the affect of brutal discount, filtration and caramel all ‘lurking’ within the background. However what’s left behind could be very simple and simplistically pleasurable. Some properly honeyed touches and a wee natural suggestion in time as effectively. Mouth: quite teaish and a bit of milky, like a digestive dunked in milky earl gray. But in addition some dried flowers, sweetened breakfast cereals, buttery toast, marmalade. It is a breakfast whisky it might appear. Once more, a easy and considerably quaint fashion designed to be quaffed absent mindedly from a pitcher – which isn’t one thing I am towards in any respect. End: quick, candy, extra brown sugar, biscuits, caramel and so forth. Feedback: most likely the very epitome ‘Speyside malt whisky’ from the vantage of the mid-Nineties. It is a bit primary and simplistic, however it’s additionally nearly profoundly inoffensive and simple to sip. And is not everybody obsessed about being inoffensive today? 
SGP: 641 – 81 factors. 

Cragganmore 12 yo 1988/2000 (60.7%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society #37.16)
The SMWS had many such bottlings of comparatively younger, humble malts round these years, I am certain there’s fairly just a few gems nonetheless sheltered behind these beautiful however an identical outdated labels. Color: pale gold. Nostril: not one million miles from the outdated OB, solely brighter and punchier after all. Related gentle notes of hessian fabric, sunflower oils and varied gentle beers similar to shilling ales and old-fashioned IPA. Humble however charmingly pure malt whisky. With water: extra of those cooking oil notes, fairly an impression of vase water, pressed flowers and plain toasted cereals. Mouth: wooft, fairly a fighter at this ABV. A bit scorching and risky actually, with all these sharp, jagged peppery notes, mashed grains and cereals and brown bread. With water: once more a tad easy, on breads, beers, grains, peppery warmth and a few mashed cereal notes. End: medium in size. Cereals and cooking oils once more, a bit of lactic sweetness too, like a sip of milk stout maybe. Feedback: Undecided I did not want the OB to be sincere. It is a bit easy and a bit, effectively, boring I suppose. Nevertheless it’s additionally humble, unshowy and practical malt whisky that I am certain many Edinburgh aficionados loved getting pleasantly drunk on within the Spring of 2000 – little question toasting all of the plain crusing years that undoubtedly lay forward…
SGP: 551 – 79 factors. 

Oban 14 yo (43%, OB, 75cl, -/+ 1990)
We’re followers of Oban right here at WF. In truth, sarcastically sufficient, Serge tried one other outdated Oban 14yo from comparable period not so way back right here on WF. Let’s examine if we align… Color: gold. Nostril: a full-bodied malt certainly, numerous polish, soot, bouillon, mustard powder, a quite resinous waxiness and issues like fir wooden, gentle medical embrocations and a few inexperienced fruitiness. Additionally this light coastal vibe within the background. Feels decidedly ‘west coast highlands’ – which I can not assist however love. Mouth: quite scary that these batches begin to tackle an ‘outdated bottle’ really feel about them. Not essentially OBE however quite this sense of getting cohered into one thing singular and a bit completely different over time in glass. A number of wax polish, cereals, dried mint, ointments, moist rocks and delicate notes of bandages and lemon peel. Nonetheless fairly coastal and feels quite medicinal with out being significantly peaty. Nonetheless beautifully oily in texture within the mouth. End: medium, peppery, extra mustard powder, bouillon shares, suet, eucalyptus and wee hints of tobacco and umami paste. Feedback: very, excellent and massively pleasurable to sip. These bottles are nonetheless underpriced and neglected I’d say. Identical rating as Serge. 
SGP: 463 – 89 factors. 

Oban 14 yo ‘Bicentenary’ (43%, OB, 1 litre, 1994)
A batch launched, or ‘labelled’, for the distillery’s 2 hundredth anniversary in 1994. You’d suppose they may tip just a few horny casks into such a batch, however then this was 1994 and effectively and actually again in whisky’s age of innocence. To not point out the truth that they launched a very good (however completely bonkers) 16yo Supervisor’s Dram sherry cask for that very same event (WF92). Color: orangey gold. Nostril: we aren’t far off the older 75cl batch, there’s only a bit extra mustardy warmth up entrance, dry waxes, hessians, pressed yellow flowers and starchy cornflour. Globally very comparable, which I am certain the Diageo mixing groups are happy to listen to. Simply maybe a bit of drier and ‘fuller’ with a extra pronounced waxy high quality. Mouth: comparable as soon as once more however I discover this one displaying a bit of extra of a mashy and vegetal facet up entrance. Honey roast parsnip, lanolin, cough mixtures and varied beers and damp grains. Perhaps not fairly as luminous as the sooner batch, however there’s nonetheless loads to get pleasure from. End: okay, picks up steam within the end truly, some very good notes of salty honey, breakfast cereals and darkish beers. Pretty, warming and evenly waxy aftertaste. Feedback: not fairly the equal of the sooner one, however it’s nonetheless a very strong and idiosyncratic dram. A quiet, stalwart bottling that I’m all the time blissful to revisit. A disgrace we do not have a present batch for comparability. To not point out the 16yo Bicentenary! I’d like to attempt that one once more. 
SGP: 552 – 87 factors.